What is a Visa?
What is a Visa?
A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the U.S. generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
Having a U.S. visa allows you to travel to a port of entry, airport or land border crossing, and request permission from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector to enter the U.S. While having a visa does not guarantee entry to the U.S., it does indicate a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad has determined you are eligible to seek entry for that specific purpose. DHS/CBP inspectors, guardians of the nation’s borders, are responsible for admission of travelers to the U.S., for a specified status and period of time. DHS also has responsibility for immigration matters while you are present in the U.S.
A visa can be used up until the day of its expiration for entry into the United States. The amount of time a traveler is allowed to remain in the U.S. is determined by Customs and Border Protection officials at the port of entry, not by validity of the visa. The period a traveler is allowed to remain often is longer than the expiration date of their visa.
Before arriving to the U.S. all applicants will be required to fill out an I-94 form. Please visit DHS for more information on the I-94, or if you have accidently forgotten to return your I-94 form after leaving the U.S.
For more information about what a U.S. visa is, please visit the State Department’s travel page. For more information regarding travel opportunities in the U.S., visit Discover America.
If your question was not answered, or for more information about visas to the U.S., the visa process and the U.S. Department of State, please click here.
